Ever since I began making my own soap, I've been saving all bits and ends from cutting and bevelling and all things soap related. I always meant to use them in a soap, and today I decided to try. The bigger pieces I've sometimes cut up and mixed in a soap, resulting in a patchwork soap. But all the curls from bevelling and flattish pieces from planing of sides just lay in a big box. Half an hours work with a grater left me with this.

Syv års små stumper reduceret til spåner.

Seven year's worth of soap ends reduced to curls.

Så hentede jeg min sæbefabrik, der står i to trækasser inde i skabet i Uglehulen. Her står de pænt på deres plads. Den nederste hylde rummer vokssmelteriet i en kasse, og chokoloadestøberi i en anden kasse. På øverste hylde bor forme, og andre løsdele. Gryderne står i udtræksskuffen for neden. Alt er købt rundt omkring på tilbud eller på genbrug, eller helt gratis fra skrammelpladsen. - - - - - Time to fetch my soaping factory (this term covers one or two crates containing all materials used for the relevant craft except for pots. They share functions and are all in a big bottom drawer) from their place in two wooden crates on the shelves in my project room. Here they are back at their place. Below them is my bees wax factory and chocolate factory. The top shelf is filled with moulds and surplus items. Everything is either second hand, free from our recycling centre or bought at dramatically reduced price.

Inde i skabet.

At the shelves.

Palmin og svinefedt til sæbefabrikation er i køleskabet.De er pakket ind i en frysepose for ikke at samle lugte op fra mærkelige madvarer i køleskaet. Coconut oil and lard are in the fridge, protected by a sturdy plastic bag from all the strange smells in there ;)

Home-made soap is very gentle to the skin, if you make it carefully. I use nothing else, and if I do, I get rashes and rifts in my fingers. It's not very difficult, only a bit time consuming, but if you can make custard from scratch, soaping is not a problem. I'm happy to be able to write my blogposts in English as well. It is gettting easier with practice. Sometimes I even have to go back to the Danish parts and add something that only popped up during the English version. I feel - and nov my language skills are faltering - a mixture of proud, happy and humble, that I have you as a reader, as you are the primary reason for my writing in English and through that the meeting with a bigger part of the world,

"a mixture of proud, happy and humble, that I have you as a reader, as you are the primary reason for my writing in English and through that the meeting with a bigger part of the world," Now I am feeling very special. Thank you!

The soaps actually turned out quite well so far. They're ligth pink with lots of small chips showing where I cut them, but they're not photogenic, at least all tries so far has turned out ugly. I have to wait 5 more weeks to try them out, and only then I'll know if they're as good as they look. I promise pictures when I have an at least moderately good one. Something with the ligths I hope.